There's another way to look at the American twist in Yemen: with all due respect to the fate of Sanaa International Airport, our real story is Iran.
The Trump administration's deal with the Houthis appears on the surface like throwing Israel under the minibus. America has secured its economic interests, and freedom of navigation for commercial ships in Bab el-Mandeb is now guaranteed.
In return, the Houthis also maintained their freedom to launch missiles from Yemen toward Ben Gurion International Airport. The fact that Sanaa's destroyed airport and Hodeidah's bombarded pier didn't prevent the Houthis and their supporters from celebrating in ostentatious victory parades speaks volumes. Rightfully so. They not only forced the Americans to raise their hands in surrender, they also brought Washington to abandon Israel.
One can always hope, or fantasize, that Washington and Jerusalem are more coordinated than meets the eye. America is cutting its Yemeni adventure at a strategic point from its perspective, to concentrate political discipline and military resources for the truly important mission – confronting Iran.
Israel, for its part, is "holding back," helping America buy time and legitimacy through diplomatic channels. According to this line of thinking, the "fickleness" attributed to President Donald Trump, including the personnel changes at the top of the administration, is part of spreading a fog screen – a disguise of the true objectives and game pieces.
There is no privilege in building on this illusion. The practical meaning of the American retreat against the Houthis is that Israel is now free to strike targets in Yemen. But much more significantly, Israel should feel freer than ever to act against Iran as well. In this context, Benny Gantz is right – in the last two weeks he has voiced clear-cut political and policy positions we haven't heard from him in years. "It's not Yemen," he said, "it's Iran."
